Steelers' defense is good enough to stop the Cardinals

Published: Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 11:28 p.m.

The big day is finally here, and in just a few short hours, all of the year’s worth of questions will be answered when the surprising Arizona Cardinals face off against the storied Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa.

The Steelers have been here before. They know the drill. Growing up a Dallas Cowboys fan in the mid-1970s, I know the Pittsburgh Steelers. Too well. One Steelers fan recently said to me, “Hey, I like the Cowboys. If it weren’t for them, we’d only have three Super Bowl rings instead of five.”

Painful words, but true.

Will the Steelers get a ring for the other hand? With a defense as dominating as theirs, it looks that way. They have held their opponents to just a 80.2-yard rushing average per game this season, second in the league, and an average of 237.2 total yards, tops in the league.

The Titans went into the playoffs with the top seed in the AFC and the best record, but they ran into the solid defense of the Baltimore Ravens, including Ray Lewis, who was charged with murder after a Super Bowl party in 2000. When his team wins, though, he turns into Glory Boy, thanking God above for all his blessings. He was definitely thanking God for his lawyer, who arranged with prosecutors to dismiss the murder chargers if Lewis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in exchange for testimony against the other men charged with the crime.

I wonder what his interview was like after the Ravens got belted by the Steelers in the AFC Championship. That was one of the most bone-jarring, gut-wrenching games I’ve ever seen, and it made me feel sorry for the happy-go-lucky Cardinals.

Although not the same cast, the Steel Curtain seems to be back, and it’s going to be the key factor today. The Associated Press’ Defensive Player of the Year, Pittsburgh’s James Harrison, and one of the best safeties in the league, Troy Polamalu, will be a terror for Arizona veteran quarterback Kurt Warner. Harrison finished fourth in the league with 16 sacks, and Polamalu was fourth in the league with seven interceptions.

And if Warner (4,583 passing yards, second in the league) hooks up with Larry Fitzgerald (1,431 receiving yards, also second in the league), Pittsburgh inside linebacker James Farrior will be there for the strike. He finished sixth in the league with 133 tackles, including 87 solo.

As far as the Pittsburgh offense goes, well, it doesn’t go that much. The Steelers are 20th in the league in their average score per game (21.7 points), 22nd in average total yards per game (311.9) and 23rd in average rushing yards per game (23rd). But with a defense like theirs, they’re not complaining.

Besides all these numbers, another thing professional forecasters look at are like opponents, and this is all the proof I need. Both Pittsburgh and Arizona faced New England recenlty. On Nov. 30, the Steelers shut down the Patriots 33-10. Three weeks later, the Cardinals were crushed 47-7 by the Patriots. So, time for more painful words, but probably true... Steelers 35, Cardinals 7.

<p>The big day is finally here, and in just a few short hours, all of the year’s worth of questions will be answered when the surprising Arizona Cardinals face off against the storied Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa.</p><p>The Steelers have been here before. They know the drill. Growing up a Dallas Cowboys fan in the mid-1970s, I know the Pittsburgh Steelers. Too well. One Steelers fan recently said to me, Hey, I like the Cowboys. If it weren’t for them, we’d only have three Super Bowl rings instead of five. </p><p>Painful words, but true.</p><p>Will the Steelers get a ring for the other hand? With a defense as dominating as theirs, it looks that way. They have held their opponents to just a 80.2-yard rushing average per game this season, second in the league, and an average of 237.2 total yards, tops in the league.</p><p>The Titans went into the playoffs with the top seed in the AFC and the best record, but they ran into the solid defense of the Baltimore Ravens, including Ray Lewis, who was charged with murder after a Super Bowl party in 2000. When his team wins, though, he turns into Glory Boy, thanking God above for all his blessings. He was definitely thanking God for his lawyer, who arranged with prosecutors to dismiss the murder chargers if Lewis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in exchange for testimony against the other men charged with the crime. </p><p>I wonder what his interview was like after the Ravens got belted by the Steelers in the AFC Championship. That was one of the most bone-jarring, gut-wrenching games I’ve ever seen, and it made me feel sorry for the happy-go-lucky Cardinals.</p><p>Although not the same cast, the Steel Curtain seems to be back, and it’s going to be the key factor today. The Associated Press’ Defensive Player of the Year, Pittsburgh’s James Harrison, and one of the best safeties in the league, Troy Polamalu, will be a terror for Arizona veteran quarterback Kurt Warner. Harrison finished fourth in the league with 16 sacks, and Polamalu was fourth in the league with seven interceptions.</p><p>And if Warner (4,583 passing yards, second in the league) hooks up with Larry Fitzgerald (1,431 receiving yards, also second in the league), Pittsburgh inside linebacker James Farrior will be there for the strike. He finished sixth in the league with 133 tackles, including 87 solo.</p><p>As far as the Pittsburgh offense goes, well, it doesn’t go that much. The Steelers are 20th in the league in their average score per game (21.7 points), 22nd in average total yards per game (311.9) and 23rd in average rushing yards per game (23rd). But with a defense like theirs, they’re not complaining.</p><p>Besides all these numbers, another thing professional forecasters look at are like opponents, and this is all the proof I need. Both Pittsburgh and Arizona faced New England recenlty. On Nov. 30, the Steelers shut down the Patriots 33-10. Three weeks later, the Cardinals were crushed 47-7 by the Patriots. So, time for more painful words, but probably true... Steelers 35, Cardinals 7.</p>